In Madrid, there is one dessert place that is a must-visit destination. That is Chocolateria San Gines. This chocolate shop has one specialty and that is Churros con Chocolate. The chocolate is thick, rich and pudding-like, and the churros are light and crisp. The combination is pretty much the only thing on the menu and the waiters tend to assume that this is what you want when you walk in (a good thing when you don’t speak all that much Spanish). The shop is open almost 24 hours a day, serving up this specialty as a snack, as breakfast and as dessert.
On my recent trip to Spain, of course I made it a point to stop in and I wasn’t let down. But I also wanted to be able to recreate this delicious snack at home when I got back. Fortunately, it turns out that the recipe for their Churros con Chocolate is available on the Food Network website!
The churros are unusually light because they start out with a dough that is very similar to the choux pastry used for cream puffs. This makes them very crisp on the outside and very tender, as well as very slightly eggy, on the inside. Although they are deep fried and it does take the oil a while to heat up, the recipe is pretty easy to mix up and make, but expect to spend some time over the stove because the churros will have to be fried in batches.
The chocolate sauce is somewhere between hot chocolate and chocolate pudding, with a consistency that is just the right thickness to drip the churros into, but still liquidy enough that you can drink the leftovers when you’re done. The sauce can be mixed up while you’re frying churros and reheats well. I recommend pouring it into small mugs or other individual cups so everyone has their own dipping (and drinking) container to work with.
You’ll probably notice that my churros, unlike the churros that you find at the ball park, are not completely straight. This is because these churros start to curl slightly as soon as they hit the hot oil, largely because it is not a heavy batter. Don’t worry about this. Not every one I had in Spain was perfectly straight either and I promise that they’ll taste just as good whether they come out straight as an arrow or curvy as an “s” – especially if you make the chocolate sauce to go along with it.
Churros con Chocolate
from Chocolateria San Gines
Churros
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup all purpose flour
3 large eggs
vegetable oil, for frying
confectioners’ sugar
Chocolate Sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 cups milk (any kind)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips)
1/4 cup sugar
In a medium saucepan, combine butter and water and bring to a boil. When mixture is boiling, add in flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Continue to stir and cook the dough for about 1 minute. Transfer to a large mixing bowl or to the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Turn the mixer on medium-high. Beat in the eggs one at a time, waiting until each has been well incorporated before adding the next. Batter may look wet before it comes together, but keep mixing and a smooth dough will form.
Transfer dough to a pastry bag fitted with a medium or large star tip.
Pour about 2-inches of oil into a deep saucepan. Bring the oil to about 365F.
Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate sauce.
Whisk together the cornstarch and milk. Add mixture, along with chocolate and sugar, to a small saucepan. Bring just to boil, whisking occasionally, and cook until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat.
Pipe 5 to 6-inch pieces of churro dough into the hot oil and cook until golden brown, then flip and cook until golden on the second side (about 5-6 minutes total). Remove from oil and set on some paper towels to drain, then dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Serve churros with small cups of chocolate sauce.
Makes about 20 churros.
Belinda @zomppa
May 28, 2010Oooo YUM! This looks amazing!! I can almost taste them.
dani
May 28, 2010u really know what do to make a girl drool
🙂
Paula
May 29, 2010mmm that`s absolutely amazing!
marye
May 29, 2010one of my favorites… they look amazing. Adding them to today’s roundup. 🙂
millys mini kitchen
May 29, 2010I LOVE churros!! I always get them when I go to Portobello Road in Notting Hill (London). Wonderful. Thanks!
Cherine
May 29, 2010mouthwatering!
Lacey
May 29, 2010I can’t wait to try these! They look amazing.
Alli
May 29, 2010No way! I was addicted to churros con chocolate when I lived in Granada – I went to Cafe Futbol practically once a week! I’ve been trying to recreate them ever since returning, but haven’t had any luck. I don’t know why I didn’t try looking at the Food Network! Thanks so much for posting the recipe! I’m so excited to make it (in case you couldn’t tell by all my exclamation marks)!
Angela
May 30, 2010Mmm….I can’t believe I only had this once during my 6-week study abroad stay in Spain. Thanks for posting the recipe! I never thought to make it myself.
I’ve never fried anything, though I do own a thermometer (looks like the same one as you, Nicole!)…
Does anyone have tips for a beginning cook when it comes to frying in oil??
Nicole
May 30, 2010Angela – My only tips are not to crowd the pan (do maybe 3 at a time) and use a deep pan so no oil splashes out. Other than that, just go for it because it’s not as hard as it looks!
Carolyn
May 30, 2010Hi Nicole
Thanks for presenting this authentic Spanish recipe. I look forward to making the Chocolate Sauce and serving it with other things too … or just enjoying on its own!
Also, I REALLY like the new sophisticated look of your blog.
Kelli
May 30, 2010I’m trying to figure out how to serve these at the Memorial Day cookout without having them get soggy before I get there? I want to try these so bad, I might just have to set up my frying station there!
Sara
May 31, 2010I made these at 9PM last night as soon as I saw the recipe – I served them with dulce de leche instead of chocolate. My husband is from Ecuador and he was in heaven 🙂 Thanks for the inspiration!
Elisabet Figueras
May 31, 2010I am Spanish but now I am living in Florida and I miss Chocolate con Churros.
Great post!!
Kelly
May 31, 2010I actually made it a point to visit San Gines when I visited Spain in 2008 and especially sought out this recipe when I returned home. I haven’t tried it yet, but I have fond memories of that lovely afternoon in Madrid enjoying a late afternoon snack of “churros y chocolate” and looking up at the latticed balconies and hanging flowers in the apartments surrounding the shop:) Can’t wait to give this a try after all this time!
Rachel
June 1, 2010We used to have churros con chocolate at 4 a.m. on the way home from the fab nightlife in Salamanca; they were soooo good for soaking up all the alcohol and preventing a hangover. I miss them.
Debs
June 2, 2010So pleased to see someone has made the traditional chocolate sauce for a change. Well done you. I’ve not made Churros for ages. Mainly due to living in spain they are so easily available for us it’s not worth making them. However, the chocolate sauce in many establishments leaves a lot to be desired LOL.
This sauce makes a fab fondue too when served with marshmallow & fruits as well as churros in a large pot for sharing.
Amy Jurist
June 3, 2010thanks for posting this. i lived in france in 1985 for college and went to spain a couple of times. that warm chocolate pudding-like hot chocolate was my favorite thing in the world. so crazy that it hasn’t caught on anywhere else . thanks – looks so yummy can’t wait to make it
rachel @ springpad
June 3, 2010I spent a few weeks in Spain over the spring and loved the churros con chocolate – can’t wait to try my hand at making them now!
Shazneen
September 5, 2010can you make the churros a day or two before you want to serve it?
Ram
September 25, 2010I remember eating this when I was just in elementary school, I still remember that day when my aunt made it for us. I’m glad I found a recipe here, I’ll be making this soon in memory of her. Thank you.
Hanna
November 6, 2010We’ve just tried your recipe. We’re all speechless. The only thing you could hear in the house was mmmm!!!!! My 3 children asked me to thank you on their behalf.
Thank you, thank you, thank you and congratulations from Greece.
Lee
November 10, 2010I’m so happy to find a wonderful recipe!! I’m doing a poem about them for a class, but now I want to try them at home this weekend! Looks like I’m going to the store soon! 🙂 I spent one college semester in Valladolid and I miss this snack very much! Thanks so much!
Hanna
November 29, 2010Is it ok to make a podcast out of your recipe? The podcast will be in greek, but be sure that I’ll mention you and your blog.
Seth
February 25, 2011Would it taste good with cinnamon on the churros as well? It’s hard for me to imagine churros without cinnamon.
Khadija
May 26, 2011I sprinkle my Churros with a litle bit if cinammon sugar; they taste gorgeous!!
Elizabeth
July 23, 2012I found this on Pintrest the other day and decided to make it. And wrote about it on my own blog, linking to yours. Thanks much!
http://foodpantryfeasts.blogspot.com/2012/07/how-to-waste-three-hours-with-one-click.html
Melissa
September 18, 2012Every Sunday my friends and I get together to watch football. Each week we have a different “theme” for our food and this past week’s theme was Mexican Food. Everyone requested churros, but I assumed they were really hard to make…. then I found this recipe!
They were delicious, surprisingly easy to make, and everyone loved them – they were the first thing to disappear off the spread of food!
Here’s how our Mexican Day shaped up:
http://www.mycraftysoul.com/2012/09/sunday-football-week-1-appetizers.html
Melissa
September 18, 2012Whoops! Here’s the correct link for our Mexican Day:
http://www.mycraftysoul.com/2012/09/sunday-football-week-2-taconacho-bar.html
Julie
February 19, 2013Just be very careful when they are in the hot oil – I was making these in my Spanish club after school years ago and one blew up in my face – hot oil & all!
Andrea Aviles
February 21, 2013Thank you so much for finding and posting this!! I was in the midst of looking for a recipe and yours came up. It looks so good and quite easy to make.
Don’t you just LOVE churros con chocolate? They are my favorite.
Cheers,
Andrea
Josh
March 26, 2013My class will be making it
Natalia Alvarez
May 18, 2013Hi I’m from Spain and my mum is from the USA the next time you visit Spain you have to try the ¨Torrrijas de leche¨, ist a tipical desert from Easter
http://www.directoalpaladar.com/postres/torrijas-de-leche-receta